KILLING PATIENT ZERO

US PREMIERE In the aftermath of Stonewall and the rise of the gay liberation movement, gay men celebrated a newfound sexual freedom—but, in 1981, the dawning awareness of AIDS changed everything. Seeking the origins of the mysterious epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control interviewed men with the disease, finding patterns that suggested sexual transmission. Director Laurie Lynd reveals how entrenched homophobia, press sensationalism and a surprising misperception would scapegoat one man, French-Canadian flight attendant Gaëtan Dugas, as Patient Zero, blaming him for spreading AIDS across North America.

Co-presented by NewFest